I admit I probably should have published this blog before the match report and that was the plan before the game, but if you read through the main points in the match report you will understand I just had to write that first! In this blog I just want to give a brief word for women's football.
"Women can't play football, they belong in the kitchen!" is phrase used far too often when hearing women's football is on T.V, but something amazing happened this summer in the Olympics for Team GB when a women's side who struggle to bring in crowds in excess of 5,000 managed a (post-war) record attendance for a British women's football game when they beat Brazil 1-0.
You think that changed the perception on women's football? In an ideal world yes, but unfortunately not. Maybe participation has risen and that's something I wouldn't know but I was shocked when kick off approached at the Underhill stadium today between Barnet and Aston Villa ladies and a mere 52 fans came to watch what proved to be an incredible match (See last post for match report)
I couldn't fit in everything i wanted to say in the match report as the game had everything, but I wanted to actually give a word on the standard of football.
Tackles were flying in and i saw no prima-donna rolling around trying to get the opposition player booked. Some last ditch challenges from both defences; some slick passing through the midfield; and some great runs made by the forwards showed class all over the pitch. Now I'm not trying to say that this team can rival the Men's Barnet side (what with Edgar Davids tearing up the Underhill turf just days before the women step onto it) but it's a good enough standard to attract more than a few dozen people.
There's just no advertisement for the game. Go on to a big club website and a minute section on the ladies team is very hard to find let alone finding out Barnet have a ladies side. At the local bar I asked 5 locals if they knew the ladies team were playing... they all answered with no with two saying they didn't even know they had a ladies team!
Now I know it was Super Sunday and after a Saturday of watching their local team they're going to want to sit in the pub with a pint and watch the games, but even when I said the game was only £3 entry(and FREE for season ticket holders) they still refused. But this is something I see easily solvable.
A simple advertisement in the men's programme would not go a miss, maybe the local putting up signs of fixture lists for the women's team. Who knows because from what I've experienced there is nothing to help them out other than the few weeks of fame Britain's women football got at the Olympics.
Moan and groan over but I would definitely recommend finding out if any Ladies games are playing near you, plenty play in London, its cheap as chips so plenty of money for a half-time pint and full-time celebrations.
The FA Women's Super League is on in the summer months which gives you a great year of football, but for now here are links for the respective leagues:
Women's Premier League National Division - http://fulltime.thefa.com/ListPublicFixture.do?divisionseason=570707413&league=872938
Women's Premier League North Division - http://fulltime.thefa.com/ListPublicFixture.do?divisionseason=356824605&league=872938
Womens Premier League South Division - http://fulltime.thefa.com/ListPublicFixture.do?divisionseason=576717736&league=872938
There are too much leagues to advertise but please do check them out
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